In an electric stapler used in a post-processing apparatus, there is suggestion of a technique in which a staple having a staple foot of a length capable of binding the maximum number of sheets to be assumed is stored, and in a case where the number of sheets to be bound is small or the like, the staple foot is cut and bound.
In the related-art stapler mounted on the post-processing apparatus, the cut staple storage unit is provided on the post-processing apparatus side, the cut staple is temporarily stored in a discharge path of the cut staple provided in the stapler, the stapler is moved to the position of the cut staple storage unit, and the cut staple is discharged from the stapler to the cut staple storage unit (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-72001 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-26859).
Further, there is suggestion of a technique of providing a staple storage unit in a staple cartridge which stores a staple (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-168185).
In the related art, since it is necessary to move the stapler to a position of the cut staple storage unit provided on the side of the post-processing apparatus in order to recover the cut staple, the productivity of a booklet for binding the sheet with the staple decreases. When the number of cut staples temporarily stored in a discharge passage provided in the stapler is large, in a state in which the stapler is moved to the position of the cut staple storage unit, there was a possibility that the cut staple may leak into the post-processing apparatus from the discharge passage.
In a configuration in which the staple cartridge has a cut staple storage unit, the quantity of the cut staple that can be stored in the cut staple storage unit decreases, and it was necessary to recover the cut staple from the cut staple storage unit before the staple stored in the staple cartridge disappeared. In the related art, it was not possible to detect the quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit and to detect and report whether the quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit was full.
The present disclosure has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a stapler capable of storing a predetermined quantity of cut staples and capable of detecting that the quantity of cut staples is fully loaded, a post-processing apparatus on which the stapler is mounted, and an image forming system in which the post-processing apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus.
A stapler may comprise a staple cartridge in which a staple is stored, a storage unit to which the staple cartridge is detachably attached, a staple ejecting unit which ejects the staple to penetrate a paper sheet, a cutting unit which cuts a staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet, a binding unit which bends the staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet to bind the paper sheet, a cut staple storage unit which stores a cut staple that is cut by the cutting unit, a cut staple quantity detection unit which detects a quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit, and a discharge unit through which the cutting unit and the cut staple storage unit communicate with each other to guide the cut staple to the cut staple storage unit. The cut staple storage unit may be attachable to and detachable from the stapler.
A post-processing apparatus may comprise a stapler. The post-processing apparatus may perform post-processing on a paper sheet on which an image is formed. The stapler may include a staple cartridge in which a staple is stored, a storage unit to which the staple cartridge is detachably attached, a staple ejecting unit which ejects a staple to penetrate a paper sheet, a cutting unit which cuts a staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet, a binding unit which bends the staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet to bind the paper sheet, a cut staple storage unit which stores a cut staple that is cut by the cutting unit; and a discharge unit through which the cutting unit and the cut staple storage unit communicate with each other to guide a cut staple to a cut staple storage unit. The cut staple storage unit may be detachable to and detached from the stapler. The post-processing apparatus may further comprise a cut staple quantity detection unit which detects a quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit.
An image forming system may comprise an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a paper sheet and outputs the image, and the post-processing apparatus which is connected to the image forming apparatus and performs post-processing on the paper sheet.
In the present disclosure, the cut staple is stored in the cut staple storage unit provided in the stapler. The quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit is detected, and the quantity of the cut staple being fully loaded is detected. Recovery of the cut staple achieved by detecting that the quantity of the cut staple is full is performed by removing the cut staple storage unit from the stapler.
In the present disclosure, by providing the cut staple storage unit in the stapler, it is possible to store the cut staple in the cut staple storage unit regardless of the position of the stapler in the post-processing apparatus. Thus, in order to recover the cut staple, since there is no need to move the stapler to a specific position, the productivity of the booklet for binding the sheet with the staple is improved.
Since the cut staple storage unit is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the stapler, the recovery of the cut staple can be performed by removing the cut staple storage unit from the stapler. Thus, when the cut staple is recovered, it is possible to suppress an occurrence of failure such as the cut staple falling into the post-processing apparatus.
By detecting the quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit, it is possible to detect and notify that the cut staple is full.